HYDERABAD: The Telangana Assembly Select Committee on the Hate Speech Bill has proposed incorporating issues related to hate speech into the school curriculum and establishing a dedicated tribunal to deal with such cases.
The committee, chaired by BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, held a two-hour meeting at the Assembly Committee Hall on Thursday to deliberate on the proposed legislation. Members discussed various provisions of the Bill and submitted their views in writing.
They suggested including hate speech-related issues in the school curriculum to create awareness among students about its consequences and implications. The committee also discussed a proposal to establish a dedicated tribunal to hear hate speech cases.
Committee member and Manakondur MLA Kavyampalli Satyanarayana suggested that the proposed law should mandate filing of chargesheets within one month in hate speech cases, instead of the three-month period currently proposed, sources said.
The committee decided to seek views and suggestions from the general public and educationists before finalising its recommendations. It will meet again within the next two to three days to continue deliberations and consider suggestions from various stakeholders.
The committee is expected to further examine the provisions of the proposed legislation before submitting its recommendations to the Assembly.